THE Gwynedd Community Safety Partnership has been praised by the Welsh Audit Office for improving standards.

The Audit Office review, conducted in January 2009, showed that not only had the partnership acted on the recommendations of the last review, conducted in 2006, but had gone beyond what had been asked of it.

The partnership’s main achievement, according to the Audit Office, was greater engagement between partners.

Its aim is to tackle crime and disorder and improve the lives of the people of Gwynedd. It is made up of statutory and non-statutory members including Gwynedd Council, North Wales Police, Fire and Rescue Service the Police Authority and the Local Health Board as well as voluntary and community organisations and the business sector.

The joint-chairmen of the partnership, the council’s Dafydd Lewis and Geraint Anwyl from the police, said they were delighted with this achievement.

Divisional Police Commander, Geraint Anwyl, said: “During the period under review by the Wales Audit Office, the Partnership in Gwynedd achieved a reduction in offending of 18.5%, which was in excess of the target reduction of 15.7% set by the Home Office.

“This is an excellent example of how agencies working together for the benefit of the community can achieve outstanding results. We aim to build on these achievements and work towards identifying the changing needs of our communities, and work together to respond to them.”